This invention relates to an improved take-out arm for a bottle forming machine.
A typical glass forming machine, such as the Hartford IS machine, has several reciprocating members which are pneumatically operated by reciprocating motors. An example of a Hartford IS machine and the mechanisms which are contained thereon may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,911,119. In the operation of such a machine, and as is clearly shown in FIG. 4 of this patent, a take-out mechanism 280 is operated by a separate pneumatic motor. This pneumatic motor, as it reciprocates, drives a pinion from the rack that is a part of the motor. The pinion in turn is connected to the take-out arm of the mechanism. After the ware has been formed in such a machine, the ware is moved from the blow mold to an adjacent dead plate where the ware is cooled. The movement of the ware from the blow mold to the dead plate is effected by a take-out mechanism, generally designated C in the above referred to patent. When these take-out mechanisms, such as that shown in the above referred to patent, were used for transferring one or two bottles at a time from the blow mold to the cooling dead plate, the operation of the arm was fairly smooth. Furthermore, the movement of the take-out arm and of the mechanism for driving the take-out arm normally is cushioned so that the movement is controlled, particularly at the position of pickup and the position of release over the dead plate. Such a patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,373. This patent discloses a mechanism for cushioning the end movements of this take-out arm mechanism.
It should be apparent that it is very important, when the take-out arm is moved into position to grasp the bottles at the blow molds, that the arm, and the tong mechanism which is carried at the outer end of the arm, be relatively steady. As stated, this was not a problem when the arm carried perhaps one or two sets of take-out tongs. With the advent, however, of machines which now are operating to simultaneously move four containers at a time from a blow mold that has four cavities, the operation of the take-out mechanism becomes much more subject to vibration at the end of its stroke. Vibration can occur at the position where the four sets of take-out tongs are to engage and grasp the bottles at the blow mold station and then after transfer at the dead plate. When dealing with take-out mechanisms where there are four sets of tongs, there is considerable mass to this mechanism which is carried at the outer end of the take-out arm. This mass, acting through the length of the take-out arm, will create forces at the end of the arm which may cause the arm to vibrate to such an extent that the tongs carried by the arm will chatter against the finish of the newly formed containers. Such chattering or touching of the tongs against the finish may produce checks in the finish of the containers. Obviously, producing checks in the finish of the containers is something that is to be avoided.
With the foregoing views, it is an object of the present invention to provide a take-out arm for a bottle forming machine in which the take-out arm is provided with a compact and effective counterweight which will offset the excessive weights of the plural tong mechanisms that are carried at the end of the take-out arm.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a take-out arm mechanism which may be adjusted to remove slack in the drive system caused by wear. The extent of adjustment that may be made is monitored.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a mechanism for maintaining the tension on a drive chain in the take-out arm at a preselected and predetermined value.
Other and further objects will be apparent from the following description.